Lights, Camera, Conceil!
by AnimeAngelSuccubus
Summary: To hide behind the flash shields you from others, but you can't hide from yourself.


Lights, Camera, Conceil!

 **I do not own Total Drama or its characters.**

The sun began to set on another day at the eventful Camp Wawanakwa; wishing its inhabitants as peaceful a sleep that they could have that night. After the island had been abandoned it had been filled with gallons upon gallons of toxic waste, effectively transforming the plants and animals into horrendous creatures. Even though the island was safer being destroyed, a certain sadistic host found the location to be perfect for the next season of Total Drama. And with a new face for the island, new contestants were a must for his sinister games. One such former contestant was out in an attempt to enjoy the night, thinking about what her life had become.

Dakota had been eliminated from Total Drama: Revenge of the Island a few episodes ago, but on her behest, she had returned. Unfortunately, she wasn't a contestant but rather an intern, forced to work for Chris and Chef with barely any screen time. She had finally managed to escape the cruel duo as they had retired to their own quarters. She had learned from the other interns that she might as well squeeze in as much as she could in the evenings, as those were the only breaks they received. While sleep would have been much more important, the model blond couldn't seem to find rest.

So she had decided to go out for a walk in the vain hope that it would clear her head enough for her to get some sleep. What had started out as a small outing around the staff grounds soon turned into a long trek to the worn docks of the old island. Dilapidated and broken beyond repair, the docks were definitely to the safest place to be, but Dakota didn't care. With it being as disinteresting as it was it would guarantee that no one would disturb her as she wasn't in the mood for company. A half-moon hung in the sky, accentuated by sparse clouds and gleaming stars, framed in the velvet black of the midnight sky.

Even in this horrible place there were some positives, and this sky proved to be one of them. Dakota settled on a piece of the dock that seemed to hold her weight best and gazed out over the water. Thoughts were going through her head at a hundred miles per hour, confusing the girl and adding to her growing headache. Her whole reason for going on this show was so that she could become famous, or rather, more famous than she already was. Now that she was only an intern, there was no way for that to happen. An exasperated huff escaped her lips as she shut her eyes and tried to focus on something and block out the millions of thoughts in her head.

Her face scrunched up into a scowl as a voice rang in her ears and her mind, rising up in volume over the other voices, _"- a depressed cry for love."_ Dawn's words sounded in Dakota's mind like a bell, constantly saying those words over and over again. What did that weirdo hippy know about Dakota? They had never even met before and not even her closest knew what she had told her therapist.She never liked to talk about it, it was something that wasn't proud to admit, but the moonchild was right.

Growing up, Dakota wasn't a happy child, quite the opposite actually. Her mother and father had gotten a divorce when she was little and, due to her mother not wanting her anyway, she stayed with her father. The living was more than comfortable as he was one of the richest men in Canada, so she would never have to want for anything material. When it came to anything else though, Dakota starved for it. Mr. Milton was constantly busy so he never had much time for Dakota. All she had wanted as a little girl was somebody to acknowledge her and play with her. In a hope that it would appease his daughter, Mr. Milton would hire children via their parents to be Dakota's friends.

They would walk up to her in school, sit with her and talk with her, anything to get her mind off of her father's absence. For a while, it worked, Dakota was happy to finally have friends, and she would regale the house staff with tales of their adventures that day. The plan was foolproof, until Dakota had heard what she wasn't meant to. Her "friends" were siting with their parents in her father's office one day, a day they had all told her that they were too busy to play. She had seen and heard everything: the deal, the money changing hands, and her father giving them advice on what Dakota liked. Her little heart shattered that day, and she was never the same again.

The nest time she had seen those other girls she had chosen to ignore them, not wanting anything to do with them after the betrayal. Of course, as was their job, they asked her what was wrong with her. Dakota couldn't take it anymore and snapped, revealing that she knew the truth and that she was done with all of them. Those girls never talked to Dakota again and eventually moved away. It was around that time that Mr. Milton began to make more public appearances at either his businesses or whatever high class social event was occurring. Seeing that his initial plan had failed, he hoped to make it up to Dakota by asking her to go with him.

She had refused the first few times, not wanting anything to do with her father. Eventually, she gave in, whether because she wanted to forgive him or was just suffering from a severe case of boredom. It was a big, fancy party, one that required people to dress in their best designer clothes and brightest smiles. There were cameras all over the place, snapping pictures of the moguls and celebrities that made an appearance. As they pulled up at the entrance walk way, Mr. Milton tried to inform his daughter that there were going to be and abundance of lights and sounds, so as to not scare her. Dakota just stared out of the window, bright green eyes gleaming and reflecting the flashing of the cameras. The doors opened and her father stepped out, his gaze scanning the area and his hand waving to photographers. He reached out his other hand to Dakota; the small girl still nestled away in the back of the limousine.

The little rich girl scooted her way out of the limo, her eyes still captivated by all of the people and cameras. As soon as she showed her face both she and her father were bombarded with questions and requests. _"Mr. Milton, over here!" "Mr. Milton, who is that with you?" "Is that your daughter?" "What's your name, sweetheart?"_ All of these people were asking about her, they wanted to know who she was. It had taken a while but, once her shock wore off, something inside Dakota clicked. A smile broke across her face bigger than it had in years, and she was more than happy to answer their questions. The attention, the prying, it all made Dakota feel good, it made her forget.

The neglect didn't matter, the betrayal was nothing but a blurred memory, everything was just right for the first time in a long time. Ever since that day so long ago, Dakota longed for nothing more than the spotlight. It was a beautiful thing that made her happy and kept her busy. When Dakota was swamped by the paparazzi, when she was the focus of the world, she didn't have to think of the pain that awaited her when she went home. When she did go back to her dwelling, she was so absorbed in her own little world that she didn't even bother to feel sad. Yet, a part of her still lingered in the past, marred by the pain of her childhood and the realization that she didn't really have anyone. The Dakota Milton that everyone thought they knew was nothing more than a lie, a cover-up for the little girl who still cried herself to sleep at night. The one who wanted nothing more than a true friend.

Dakota let out a depressed sigh as she stood up from the dock, brushing off her pants to rid them of stains. She hated thinking that someone other than her therapist knew how she really felt inside. Was she that transparent that just anyone with a keen eye could see her problems? Well, according to the media, she was perfection incarnate. None of them knew the tale of the depressed rich girl; they just saw her the way they wanted to see her. She was beautiful, smart and stylish, and in this world that was all that mattered. So, if they could believe the lie, then so could everyone else on the island; so could she.

 **Alright, this one was a long time coming, and I apologize. Thing is, this may be the last story I post for the next couple of weeks. I probably won't have anything until next month. My schedule is going crazy and I know that I won't have time for more stories. Sorry guys. Anyway, favorite, follow and review my babies and I'll be back soon. Mwah!**


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